PFC Chapter 300 There's something wrong with this.
Chapter 300 There's something wrong with this.
Upon arriving at the Zhen family residence, the Emperor stayed in the same courtyard he had stayed in before.
The Emperor alighted from the carriage, looked at the familiar surroundings, and smiled:
"Many years have passed in the blink of an eye, but this place remains unchanged."
Zhen Zhangquan smiled and said:
"Knowing that His Majesty loves the scenery of this courtyard, we have been sending people to clean and maintain it all the time, hoping for His Majesty's arrival."
The Emperor smiled and said, "That's very thoughtful."
The Emperor stepped into the courtyard and looked at it, which was not much different from what he remembered. He recalled the times he had visited before.
When I first came here, the situation was very unstable, and I had to come out to patrol it myself. Decades have passed in the blink of an eye. The courtyard has not changed, but people's hearts are easily changed.
The Emperor landed in the afternoon, and the ministers would rest and recuperate in the evening.
According to the emperor's temperament, he would meet with local ministers and officials the next day, and in the evening he would hold a banquet for the emperor and his ministers to enjoy themselves together.
The next day, all the ministers were waiting for the emperor's summons, but it was reported that the emperor only met with the Zhen family members and then invited the head of the Zhen family, Zhen Zhangquan, to have dinner with them.
Ministers who were on good terms would have lunch together, talking about how glorious the Zhen family was! The Zhen family was indeed extraordinary.
After Jia Hu and the others settled in the villa, they ate a little and went to bed early. After being on the boat for so long, they were finally able to get a good night's sleep. Everyone slept very well that night.
Upon waking up the next day and hearing the Emperor's arrangements, the Jia family naturally received invitations as well. Jia Daihua and Jia Daishan both declined them, opting to have a meal together as family members.
Jia Hu hadn't paid attention yesterday, but when he got up this morning, he discovered that the tables, chairs, and furnishings in the room were exquisite, beautiful, and made of extraordinary materials. Even he, who had seen many fine things in the Jia family mansion, couldn't help but praise that the Zhen family had quite a lot of good things and that their wealth was truly substantial.
After Lin Ruhai arrived, he went to the study to talk with Jia Daishan and Jia Daihua about the situation in Jiangnan.
During lunch, Jia Hu saw his uncle Lin and was reminded of the official position that the new emperor had appointed for him: the Salt Commissioner of Lianghuai.
Back when Uncle Lin was serving as the Salt Commissioner, the Zhen family hadn't fallen from grace yet. In the end, Uncle Lin died in office in Yangzhou.
If the Zhen family is a bad family, could Lin's uncle's situation be related to them?
Zhen's consciousness was still dormant; he only had information about the Zhen family members, but knew nothing about what had happened within them.
"The Zhen family?" Jia Daishan stroked his beard and thought. "If it's the Zhen family, it's not surprising. The Zhen family has dominated this area for many years. When the new emperor ascended the throne, Ru Hai came to investigate the salt administration. He certainly wouldn't have colluded with these people. The result was predictable."
Lin Ruhai, on the other hand, was much calmer. Ever since he learned that he would become the Salt Commissioner, he had also considered the influence of officials in Jiangnan.
Previously, he only studied books and did not understand the official system here. Later, after he became an official, although he was far away in the capital, he learned a lot through correspondence with his friends back home and learned that the Zhen family was the most powerful family here.
Looking back now, I realize I was just a tool in the hands of the new emperor, and the outcome was predictable.
Jia Hu thought about it more and more and it seemed very possible.
You know what, it's actually quite possible. The official cause of death for Uncle Lin is said to be a serious illness, but all sorts of speculations keep coming.
There are many doubts about this. When Lin's uncle passed away, he was only in his forties. When he sent Lin to the capital, he said that he had no intention of remarrying and that he sent Lin to the capital because he was afraid that she would have no one to teach her.
It must have been that after his aunt passed away, Lin's uncle sensed danger and feared that something might happen to Lin's sister as well, so he thought of sending Lin's sister to the Jia family for protection.
Furthermore, Uncle Lin's attitude at the time was also very problematic. The successive deaths of his wife and son dealt him a heavy blow, but Uncle Lin's family had only one son per generation for three generations and had no intention of having another son.
After Uncle Lin returned to the capital as the Salt Commissioner, his future was naturally bright. He shouldn't have been so decadent and given up on himself. However, his words at that time were no different from his will. At this time, Uncle Lin's wife and son had both died, so he must have been determined to die, thinking of devoting himself to the cause until his death!
The cause of my aunt's death is also very suspicious. It is said that she fell ill due to grief over the death of her son, and there was also the child who died at the age of three.
Before Uncle Lin became the Salt Commissioner, everything was peaceful in his family. But after he took office, one misfortune after another struck: first, his three-year-old son died, then Aunt Min, and then himself. There's no doubt there's something wrong with that.
His own son, his future three-year-old son, was gone. When he heard that he was going to die, Lin Ruhai was still very calm. He already knew what his fate would be in that situation.
Upon hearing about Min'er and his future son, his hands trembled and he almost burst into tears. It was all because of him!
Lin Ruhai quickly concealed his tears, turning away to wipe them away with his hand. Jia Daishan, listening from the side, also felt a pang of sorrow. Those were his daughter and grandson, gone just like that, without any explanation. And what about the Zhen family? Regardless of whether they were involved later, the Zhen family had to be investigated!
Jia Daihua was also heartbroken. He reached out and gently patted the two of them. This time it was different. The things that happened later would not happen again. Their son and grandson would be fine from now on. No one should try to hurt them!
Jia Zhen, being so young, couldn't understand those things, but he knew that his aunt would have an accident and that Uncle Lin would be gone. His aunt and Uncle Lin had both been very good to him.
Jia Zhen was furious. With his brother injured this time, how could there be so many bad people!
Jia Zhen took a big bite of rice. He wanted to eat more so he could grow up quickly and protect the people he wanted to protect.
As Jia Hu pondered these matters, he knew in his heart that these things would not happen this time, and he needed to find a way to remind his grandfathers, and even the Crown Prince.
Gathering evidence beforehand is of paramount importance. The interests involved in salt are unfathomable. He doesn't believe that the Emperor, with his discerning eye, hasn't noticed the problem here. Is it that he doesn't want to act, or that he can't?
If only I could visit the local saltworks myself, I'm sure I could come up with a better way to make salt, and then I'd have a better bargaining chip.
Jia Hu was thinking about how to go out and visit the salt fields. He looked up at his grandfather, wanting to ask him about it first.
Looking up, Jia Hu was startled to see his uncle Lin's red eyes and quickly asked:
"Uncle Lin, what's wrong?"
Why was Uncle Lin all smiles when he came? Why did he suddenly become distracted for a moment? Uncle Lin looked like he had been crying. Did someone bully Uncle Lin?
Lin Ruhai quickly covered it up with a smile:
"I'm fine, I just rubbed my eyes because they felt uncomfortable."
Jia Hu was finally relieved.
"Why are your eyes suddenly uncomfortable? Should we go see the imperial physician? Did you stay up late studying again? It's good that Uncle Lin is hardworking, but he can't stay up late studying all the time. It's bad for his eyes."
Lin Ruhai looked at Jia Hu, whose eyes were full of concern, and was deeply moved.
"It's alright, I'm sorry to have worried Hu'er. I'll be more careful in the future!"